1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to interlocking studs and more particularly to an interlocking system used specifically for studs for enabling quick and efficient installation while reducing unnecessary costs and additional material for successfully building and constructing commercial and residential structures.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In construction, as in any business, efficiency, as well as operation costs are very consequential. Reducing time for construction, while not sacrificing structural integrity of a building, will inherently reduce labor, as a result reducing the overall construction costs. Thereby, many contractors will employ builders who are not only skilled, but who possess excellent time management skills to efficiently construct a structure.
Building material is yet another area of interest with building contractors. If materials can reduce costs and time associated with construction without affecting the structural integrity of the building, many will employ that material. One area of interest is the installation of studs typically used for forming the frame of the particular structure. Conventionally, the studs are fabricated from metal or wood, and can be tedious to install. The builder typically must take measurements for appropriately placing the stud and then utilizes self-tapping screws for securing to an upper frame member. This task can be extremely time consuming. Accordingly efforts have been made to reduce the time and costs generally associated with the installation of studs.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,096 issued to Smolik there is disclosed a wall assembly system which includes an upper and a lower horizontal support beam. The support beams each includes a channel including notches, evenly spaced and extending into the channel. The vertical stud is insertable in the channel of the horizontal support studs, and snaps into place when twisted into the notches. This system eliminates the use of nails and the like. Unfortunately, this system may be efficient during building, but manufacturing of the beams can be costly. The means of forming the notches within the upper and lower horizontal support beams can be expensive and tedious to the manufacture. In addition, the vertical support beams having a C-shape, and may fail to adequately offer the support needed for the structure. This shape may also be difficult to work with, since the user is limited to installing wiring and the like on solely one side of the vertical support stud.
Yet another stud wall framing system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,665, issued to Johnson. In this patent there is disclosed a system comprising upper and lower horizontal support beams and a plurality vertical studs. The horizontal and vertical studs include a plurality of extrusions which will act as an interlocking means. The upper and lower section of each vertical stud include stud protrusion which are interlockable with the extrusions of the horizontal support beams. Though this system does eliminate the use of screws and the like, this system does include some shortcomings. To insert the vertical studs, the user merely forces it downward or upward to cause the channel of the beams to expand outward. This capability of expansion seems to reduce the structural strength of the beams. Further, these studs, like to Smolik, are C-shaped in configuration. This shape may cause some difficulties, making wiring and the like awkward and tedious.
Accordingly, it is seen that none of these previous efforts, provide the benefits intended with the present invention, such as providing a stud wall framing system which is not only efficient by does not sacrifice the structural integrity of the building. The prior techniques do not suggest the present inventive combination of component elements as disclosed and claimed herein. The present invention achieves its intended purposes, objectives and advantages over the prior art device through a new, useful and unobvious combination of component elements, which is simple to use, with the utilization of a minimum number of functioning parts, at a reasonable cost to manufacture, assemble, test and by employing only readily available material.